1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to aurally indicating progress and more particularly relates to aurally indicating progress in discovering nodes.
2. Description of Related Art
A communications channel such as a network may be configured to communicate with a plurality of nodes. Each node may autonomously connect and disconnect from the communications channel. Thus a node may be connected to the communications channel without registering with an administrative function. For example, a network may include a plurality of data processing device nodes. A user may connect and disconnect a data processing node without registering the node.
Unfortunately, an administrative function such as a communications channel manager may need to periodically identify the nodes that are connected to the communications channel. For example, plurality of server nodes may be connected to a communications channel that includes a network. An administrative function may need to identify the server nodes connected to the communications channel in order to manage the server nodes.
Alternatively, a computer may include a plurality of device nodes. A device node may be a video controller, a network interface card, a camera, or the like. The device nodes may communicate over one or more internal communications channels such as a personal computer interface (“PCI”) channel. An administrative function for the computer may need to identify each device node that is in communication with a communications channel so that each device node may be configured and utilized.
The administrative function may discover the nodes connected to the communications channel in order to identify each node. For example, the administrative function may search for nodes by communicating a query to each potential node that is in communication with the communications channel. In addition, the administrative function may receive a reply from each node, indicating that the node is in communication with the channel.
The administrative function may receive replies from the nodes over an extended period. For example, the communications delay between the administrative function and each node may vary, resulting in variable delays in receiving the replies. The administrative function may also communicate the query to each node at a different time, and each node may reply after a variable interval. The number of nodes may also vary. As a result, it may be difficult to predict when all nodes will be discovered.
Software processes typically employ a visual status bar, status indicator, or the like to inform a user when a software process will complete. For example, a status bar may report the percentage of a software process that is complete. Yet the administrative function cannot know in advance how many nodes will reply to a discovery operation. In addition, the administrative function cannot know how long will be required for all nodes to reply. As a result, status bars and status indicators are often unsuitable for indicating progress when discovering nodes over a communications channel.
From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a need exists for an apparatus, system, and method that aurally indicate progress when discovering nodes. Beneficially, such an apparatus, system, and method would provide rich quantitative and qualitative feedback to a user of a discovery process.